So what would you do?

[Warren Wallace]

I'm closing shop till dec 8th (taking a family cruise)my helper calls me after work and says his girl
friend is taking two weeks off and that he should too.The two weeks start the monday we go back to
work, the last two weeks before x-mas and the busiest two weeks of the year.What would you do?
I fired his ass of course, basturd.

 

[Art Kelley]

I would do the work myself. Oh wait, I already do (because of crap like this.) Take the money you would pay him and buy your wife a necklace. She'll forgive you for working an hour later each day.

 

[-JB-]

The real question is what would B&BGaryC do?

 

[rhyde]

You should have an employee manual with policies for vacation ours is 30 days notice if you have specific times that are busy add that in the employee hand book too.

 

[steve frasier]

kind of agree with Randy, if you don't have it clearly explained in the employee manual then you kind of screwed yourself if you really did fire him

Are you paying him the week the shop is closed

is the other 2 weeks unpaid

I kind of look at it as it is his time and he can take it when he wants to

if you treat him crappy he probably doesn't care but if you dumps on you then he might not be worth it anyways

 

[Larry B]

Its your business


FIRE his A$$

 

[FB7777]

I still can't figure out how the 2 weeks before Xmas are your 2 busiest weeks of the year? :shock:

Do you do this business full time?

 

[TimP]

The way I see it I'd explain to him that you need him durring that part and he needs to be a team player. And he should of asked for permission from you before comitting to a vacation plan. In other words he's not very mature thinking when it comes to his job. If I was desperate and he was a great employee I may offer him some extra cash as compensation to get him to stay, just this one time to help pay for changing plans or what not. But if he didn't show I'd fire him cause that's part of the job, he's there to help you when YOU need him not when HE feels he wants to work. I'd find someone else to replace him in that case.

 

[FB7777]

if there was no policy in place prior to his vacation request then I wouldn't toss him over it. He's giving a couple weeks notice.

You can't expect helpers to be as dedicated as the owner, however, only you know if this is the appropriate action.

If he's a genuine good employee then you may be hurting yourself over the long haul over a short term issue.

Can you find a warm body for those 2 weeks to pull hoses for you? Lots of people looking for cash during the holidays.

 

[Brian R]

Call your nearest good cleaner who is not as busy as you...You know there is one somewhere.
Cut him in for a percentage of the jobs he does for you.
If I was in your area, I would do it for you.

Someone else who owns there own company (o/o) would be happy to have the work.

bring your cell phone and your schedule book and do an hour or two a day whilst you are in vaca.

Forward your business phone to your cell it it isn't already.

 

[XTREME1]

I would deny his vacation request and put the ball in his court on what he is going to do.

Then I would get a solid policy on the books and have him sign it and put it in his file

 

[Brian R]

Oh, and make sure you tell your helper how much more the other guy is getting. don't know what you got till it's gone.

 

[Dolly Llama]

If he's a genuine good employee then you may be hurting yourself over the long haul over a short term issue.

.

thank you for adding some GOOD sense

Warren, I don't know enough about you, your biz or your employee

so I'll just say it like this;

an honest and good employee can "literally" be worth their weight in gold.

..L.T.A.

 

[Brian R]

Sometimes you have to be lenient (sp) with a good employee.

Carpet Cleaning ain't exactly glamorous work.

 

[Dolly Llama]

call Hodderdink.
he knows his chit


..l.T.A.